Bayoutalker
Elite Member
Sounds like a job for Mythbusters! Shoot a 50 caliber CW type projectile at a piece of metal and see what the results are. Any takers?
Cliff
Cliff
We're getting pretty far off topic here, so I apologize to the OP.
I believe the high velocity, small caliber wildcats you refer to would disintegrate due to the speed and centrifugal force. I don't think heat had much if anything to do with the problem, and they did not vaporize.
Wildcatters are almost by definition pushing the limits of physics.
OK I did a bit more reading, it seems you're right in the specific case of unjacketed small caliber ammo.
But in respect to the original point of the damage to the buckle, I maintain heat was not a factor in deforming the object. I have shot literally hundreds of aresol cans, propane tanks, and other flammable objects and not one caught fire or exploded, but I admit this was with more modern jacketed ammo. I can't say for sure what an early 1800's lead ball would do.
Next time I'm down on the farm I will pull out the black powder guns and some brass and steel plates and see if I can duplicate the damage seen on this buckle. I might even have some junk brass buckles (more modern) laying around for comparison.
I'm really curious now whether an age appropriate projectile would produce a clean hole like that.
And there's nothing to say that someone in the more recent past didn't pick the buckle up not knowing what it was and figured it would make a nice improvised target to check his sights while hunting with modern jacketed bullets. Lots of stuff can happen at historical sites over several lifetimes. People tend to forget that.
Yesterday, I found a shotgun brass that had been fired, but had a hit from a 22 bullet just in from the edge on the back.
I'd like to see the results of that test too.
Cliff